Is heaven a fifth dimension?

inquiry

I have enjoyed listening to Mr. Stedman's views for some time now. He
has been a very congenial fellow to listen to. I'm a Christian
enjoying service to our Lord Jesus in the way of Jail Ministry. I
wanted to confirm with you if I am understanding one of Mr. Stedman's
taped messages correctly. In series 8 (Supreme Headquarters) The book
of Revelation; Am I understanding correctly that he is saying; Heaven
is a 5th. dimension here on earth? Please reply.

first response

Dear friend,
Pastor Doug Goins has forwarded your email to our Paraclete Forum
team of 15 men and women. We answer the large volumes of email that
various pastors can not always address because of their full
schedules.
In the physical world we usually think of four dimensions: length,
width, height, and time. This has been the conventional approach
since Einstein. It is possible there are more than four dimensions in
the PHYSICAL, MATERIAL universe. This can not be proven at this
point. However certain areas of mathematical physics suggest that
additional dimensions (up to 23 or even 26) may exist. On my web site
you will find two short articles on these theories of hyperspace:
http://ldolphin.org/update.html
However there is really no reason to be concerned about the number of
dimensions in the PHYSICAL world. For instance, the Genesis account
of creation can be understood quite well assuming there are only four
dimensions in the material world.
Now what is often missed in reading Genesis is that in addition to
the physical, material world, God also CREATED an invisible SPIRITUAL
realm. In the new Testament this is called "the heavenlies" or "the
heavenly places." The spiritual realm is a created part of the
universe which has different characteristics and obeys different laws
than the physical world. The spiritual realm was created as the
habitation of the angels for example. God Himself is a Spirit, so He
also dwells in the heavenlies.
Man is a creature who was made to live simultaneously in both realms:
Genesis 2:7 "...then the LORD God formed [the physical body of] man
of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath
[spirit] of life; and man became a living being [nephesh = soul]."
We are spiritually dead until we are born again in Christ. After that
we have access to God in our spirits and in the spirit we have
fellowship with God and we are in touch with the spiritual side of
the universe. Actually the physical, material world is EMBEDDED in
the spiritual. The physical universe is a small district within the
heavenlies. So in our bodies we interact with the physical world
(which is perishing) and in our spirits we tune into to the
heavenlies which are eternal.
As you read through Ray Stedman's commentary on the book of the
Revelation you will note how the scene switches back and forth from
earth to heaven. Then as the book unfolds, the heavens open up (are
"revealed" or unveiled) and things now hidden from plain view in the
material world are made known. That is, the world of the invisible
breaks in upon us. At the beginning of Chapter 4 of Revelation, the
scene does switch from earth to heaven. John the Apostle is invited
to step outside out the physical world through a door into the
eternal, spiritual realm. Revelation 4 is outside our our space-time
domain but these are real events John describes. What John sees going
on in the Throne Room of the Universe affects events in history that
will unfold shortly. Time has different properties in heaven,
http://ldolphin.org/time.html, events in heaven are not locked in
step with the time flow of world history.
A similar glimpse into eternity is seen in the Transfiguration of
Jesus. (Matthew 17:1-10).
Let me know if I can help you further with this. It takes getting
used to think of the material and the spiritual realms as two
separate, but interacting parts, of the creation. Very often objects
and events happening in the physical world are mere shadows of the
permanent and enduring realities which exist in the spiritual realm.
Sincerely,

reply

(Now what is often missed in reading Genesis is that in addition to
the physical, material world, God also CREATED an invisible
SPIRITUAL realm.)
In regard to this, where do you find in
Genesis that God also created a spiritual realm? Remember; "I have
gone to prepare a place for you. If it were not so, I would have
told you"
I suppose we agree to disagree. I believe God has gone to prepare a
place for me, not of, in, or around here, regardless of dimension.
I know it is beautiful, and lighted by Jesus Christ. I know I will
be praising Him forever. So, the dimension thing does not matter
after all. It makes discussion. But does that edify? I will pay
closer attention to what I hear.
Thank you,

second response

"In the beginning God created the heavens (plural) and the earth."
In Hebrew thought there are three created levels of heaven: the
earth's atmosphere, space--the stellar realm, and thirdly the heaven
of heavens which is the abode of God.
The angels have a habitat--it is the spiritual realm. It is where they live.
Yes, the dimensionality of the physical world is not important, I agree.
When Moses made the tabernacle, God told him to make it as an exact
copy of the tabernacle which was eternal in the heavenlies.
This same temple shows up again in the book of the Revelation.
Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us in the spiritual world. We
shall soon have spiritual resurrection bodies which are more solid
and better built than our present physical bodies.
Have you read C.S. Lewis' "The Great Divorce?" It is quite thought provoking.
God bless you.